Greetings all,
Apologies in advance for the length...
I've spent the past few weeks lurking and getting to know all the members here and have greatly enjoyed reading of your exploits, experiments and adventures! I hope that the following isn't too indulgent; indeed, I expect that I should be begging yours for subjecting you to it
This hobby (I suspect that is what it is going to become LOL) is an entirely new and unexpected source of happiness for me. Before a month ago, I thought all dolls were of the blow up variety, and not much more than party novelties. When I heard the Howard Stern story a while back I KNEW there had to be more to it than just vinyl. But the few pics I could find were just of cheap looking vinyl things. Then recently I came across the picture of a porn star holding open the pussy of a RD (I think it was a RD)and my jaw dropped -it took me a sec to determine which was the actual doll! I mean, it *really* dropped! And I thought, "Hm, yes, well that looks intriguing as hell!" So once I found where to look, I began checking it all out and I'm still absorbing LOTS of new information and am currently in a state of Information Overload. If I ramble a bit please excuse
Here goes... TERA CONVERTS ME
I just received my Tera Patrick doll (first inflatable) and am totally blown away by how much I enjoy her! And I haven't even "done it" with her yet! Her mouth is just amazing, and I was surprised at how kissable her lips were; I had no idea that cuddling with one could be so satisfactory. Since it was, I was able to (suddenly) come to the decision/justification about buying a RD. I wasn't sure about how comfy it could be sleeping with an unbreathing life-sized "woman" but last night with Tera was so delightful that I knew I needed to do this.
I never expected to ever describe *any* mood of mine as being "gleeful" but damned if I wasn't! Fucking GLEEFUL! Huh!
PAYING'S A BITCH
I had tried for days to come up with a financial plan to make it work, but that damn "I" word (Interest) just made the purchase a bit too steep for me in the long haul. I found this Forum and was lucky enough to read a thread about the poster's query for advice as to financing a RD. The answers I read impressed me very much; you are such a diverse group of intelligent and reasonable persons (as can be humanly expected LOL), and I am grateful for the VOLUMES of information I've gotten here. That financing thread certainly gave me some much needed food for thought. This isn't a frivlous expenditure. It's even more than an investment; beyond that (not that they could be investments anyway). What Matt has provided for us is like Fantasy Fulfillment; whatever we want her to be... and THAT is something. These Dolls are indeed works of art, I have no compunctions in saying.
UNTAPPED RESOURCES
Anyway, I found I couldn't deal with loans so I started thinking about HOW I could get the funds. And then I saw my "X-Men" DVD staring at me going, "Hellooo!" And it struck me like a hammer. Do I really NEED all of those comic books any more?? Just a photo of a RealDoll makes it an almost rhetorical question, let alone having one in real life.
So I'll just start with "X-Men" number 1 and go till I get enough to cover the Doll! Then I can replace the money in my (rapidly diminished) savings account. All it took was one final thought: Well, would I trade my first ten X-Men (collected and loved since they came out) for a RD?
Oh hell yes! I mean real quick. I guess I never saw anything worth even considering selling them for.
Either they go or The Hulk goes LOL, I want to bring Lily here!
"THE DECISION" DECISIONS
Which brings me to here: I just placed my order for Lily through Abyss (like there's any other way LOL). So I thought I'd pop in here and say Hello and thank you, and I hope you look forward to meeting her half as much as I do!
It was a convoluted path in coming to decide on her though. After MUCH research in the Matrix and RealDoll Doctor (oh God all the pictures!
), I still could not decide on a face I wanted (for I hadn't thought of using Lil yet) and the more photos I saw... well, you know. I was just looking for anything I liked, and I liked, well, it felt like all of them! Each face has its own charm, but I was totally stuck between #'s 4, 7 and 11. At this point I still wasn't sure of what I wanted my dreamgirl to look like. LILY'S GUILT TRIP
And then I started feeling guilty because I wasn't working on finishing the story I've been writing since forever. Immediately then she appeared to me: the heroine of my story! It should have been obvious for me to pick her; I'm surprised that it hadn't occurred to me at the start. I already love her as a character, and now I can have a RD to actually "be" her! Wow! Sometimes Modern Life doesn't suck so much after all!
Oddly (and incidentally) enough, there were several complex scenes in my book where I needed to have a gf help me with postioning (arms, legs, mouths etc), but for one reason or another (!) we'd go "off script" and never did finish any. So when I first saw the RD site and read that the dolls were posable my first thought was "Hm, I could get one to help with the positioning problem". (See how quickly the rationalizing begins!) It didn't occur to me that I could make the doll look like I imagined Lily to look like. And in this I could use a fair degree of latitude since I'm not basing her on a picture, just my description of her in the story, and someone I've "known" quite well, since I created her.
FACE THE FACE
So I used the configurator to check each face type out, asking, "Who is Lily?" And I was surprised to find it was 11 (thought she might be 4). I did that with each segment of configuring and when I was done came up with: Body 7, Medium, Black Hair style 5, light blue eyes, natural shadow, blue and light liner, French, Black/Natural pubic, and lips...
Hm... you know, originally I thought that her lip color would most likely be natural, since she's a pretty down to earth character. But after seeing Tera's lips... color really brings out their fullness that Natural only implies, if you get my meaning. I justified picking Plum Lip Color by telling myself that it's just Lily-at-her-day-job look.
I really am not sure how that will look; it's so hard to tell from pictures what that color combo will really look like... My first question (of many, I am sure!): Please impart to me the Wisdom of Natural lips vs Color... Best for natural so you can apply your own choice of colors, or fixed with one color that is on for good? I always thought I preferred natural lips; now I don't know. Tera's lips are very pretty.
GEORGE IS ON MY MIND
God, I've gone on for far too long. Apologies, and thank you for reading this far. Just a few more items...
I am very thankful for George 66/67 posting the pics from Abyss and his detailed questions and resulting answers. You ALL have been most helpful in so many ways; my mind is boggling with all of the advice and tips! (That was another strong influencing factor, this strong community.) So George, here's a little something back: I noticed from the link to your Inspiration for your lovely Emma (well, she will be lovely, won't she?
): For an uncanny lookalike, I mean, uncanny! Find the ALSScan site. A model there named Leona is the spitting image! And, I can vouch for this site, I subscribed before so they are honorable. It is a pay site, but I think you can access the pictures of the models for free, I hope. Too bad they are all shaved 
But Leona is a beauty. (Um, need I add, she's real )DAMN! WRAP IT UP ALREADY!!
I was going to mention a couple of outstanding dolls, but there are so many beauties, and as we all know, so much of what makes a person (or doll) beautiful is from inside, and I hesitate on singling any of them out. No doubt each of these ladies (and, um, I guess guys?) is precious in their own right to their respective "owners".
That being said, when the heart is jolted, the voice must speak: I'd just like to say that I was *fascinated* with Sidore, just really enjoyed her shoots and her site
She almost seems real to me. I also have a soft spot for Taze as well. But really, there are TOO MANY beauties! Also, Inkling's Darlene was very close to Lily when I first saw her pics. Ingrid too... Funny, I remember feeling something like "That's how Lily looks" but didn't consider her for a "model" for my RD despite the fact that Lil has occupied most of my attention over the past several years.
And finally, I hope to God that Lily's eyes turn out to be as effective as Cassie? I think that is the Doll... (you should see my notes LOL!). Those eyes were just amazingly realistic... are they Guy's eyes?
SLEEPING PUSSY
Well, I'd better close, my energy is waning (didn't sleep much last night with Tera's first "sleepover"
), and I'm sure your patience is too. It's good to make your acquaintances![Hm, I just noticed my cat has taken a liking to Tera, curled up against her side on the bed (she's in a pair of pajamas that I have finally found a use for) (Tera, not the cat)... I just checked and all her air is still intact (the Doll's), but is there a danger that animals (say a jealous feline) can damage the inflatable type dolls? Her outer shell wasn't filled, but still... who wants to take a chance on a $250 doll? Not I!]
AND THE OUTRO
This site has done a great job in dispensing all manner of important information. Keep up the fantastic work! Thanks to you and to everyone else helping to make this an interesting and unique (duh!) hobby
Regards,
PBS
They shouldn't look too grey though; when you look at her eyes, they should scream BLUE! 
But we'll see.
